“Arsenal are a great club, and I’m very happy with them – but I want to play regularly with an eye towards Euro 2020. Things have been OK this season. But if the manager tells me that he won’t be counting on me next season then I’ll have to think about my future.

“Arsenal are a top club, and it is harder to play all the time for them. I’ve moved to a new country, and have had to discover new people, a new league and new tactics. It all takes time.”

Arsenal have suffered various injuries in the defensive department this term, dealing a huge blow to their squad depth.

While he isn’t very popular with the fans, Lichtsteiner has helped provide valuable cover across the backline all-campaign, and it won’t come as a shock if he is handed another deal given the club’s lack of transfer funds.

The Gunners could only complete loan deals in January as a result, and it remains to be seen if Emery will be handed a big transfer budget in the summer.

Follow @insidefutbol Arsenal loanee Emiliano Martinez has insisted the Championship is the hardest league he has ever played in during his career, having joined Reading in January. Martinez, who joined Arsenal from Independiente in 2010, joined the Royals on a loan deal in January, with the Gunners looking to secure playing time for […]

Arsenal loanee Emiliano Martinez has insisted the Championship is the hardest league he has ever played in during his career, having joined Reading in January.

Martinez, who joined Arsenal from Independiente in 2010, joined the Royals on a loan deal in January, with the Gunners looking to secure playing time for the Argentine.

The 26-year-old has settled in quickly at the Madejski Stadium after making an appearance in each of the last nine league games for the Royals in their bid to avoid relegation.

Despite playing in some of the biggest competitions in the game, including the Champions League and Europa League, Martinez has insisted the Championship is the hardest competition he has been involved in during his career.

The Argentine feels that any team can beat any other side in the division and stressed that opponents do not allow the liberty of time and space compared to the Premier League.

“The English leagues are very tough – especially the Championship. I’ve played in Spain, Argentina as well, but the Championship is the hardest league I’ve played in”, Martinez told the Royal, Reading’s official matchday programme.

“I’ve played in the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, Premier League games as well but the Championship is one of the hardest.

“I’ve had the chance to come here, hopefully play 18 games for Reading and you can see that, when you play well in this league, everyone talks about you.

“Any team can beat anyone, it’s more physical, there are long balls, you fight for the whole 90 minutes.

“In the Premier League you get more time and space, you can play out from the back more and in the Championship, you just can’t.”

Reading return to action after the international break, when they face Preston North End at home in the Championship on 30th March.

Follow @insidefutbol Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has revealed that he owes a lot to Arsene Wenger for helping him settle down at the Emirates following his arrival from Argentina. Martinez, who is currently on loan at Reading, joined Arsenal from Independiente in Argentina as a teenager in 2010 during the time of Wenger. […]

]]>https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/03/21/quality-was-ridiculous-26-year-old-arsenal-star-on-owing-arsene-wenger/feed/0Football transfer rumours: Arsenal back in for Gelson Martins? | Footballhttps://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/03/20/football-transfer-rumours-arsenal-back-in-for-gelson-martins-football/
https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/03/20/football-transfer-rumours-arsenal-back-in-for-gelson-martins-football/#respondWed, 20 Mar 2019 09:31:46 +0000https://soccer.10ztalk.com/?p=120188Arsenal might have failed in their pursuit of Gelson Martins last summer, with the winger eventually deciding to join Atlético Madrid, but thankfully he has turned out to be absolutely rubbish so they could get another chance to snap him up this year. Having miserably failed to convince in Spain he is currently on loan […]

Arsenal might have failed in their pursuit of Gelson Martins last summer, with the winger eventually deciding to join Atlético Madrid, but thankfully he has turned out to be absolutely rubbish so they could get another chance to snap him up this year. Having miserably failed to convince in Spain he is currently on loan at Monaco and once again starting to shine, and the Sun are convinced both that Atlético want to sell and that Unai Emery is “desperate to sign a winger”, which unless they have got their sums all wrong means that Arsenal will sign Martins in the summer.

In further Atlético-related news AS contains the headline revelation that Antoine Griezmann’s release clause will be reduced from an offputting €200m to a mere €120m on 1 July. The striker, they say, “seems to have decided to listen to any offer” having concluded that “Simeone’s team is not at its best and some of its key members will ask to leave”, while Marca excitedly insist that the reduced asking price “would make him one of the most sought-after players on the summer market”. His sister and agent, Maud, has however told L’Equipe that the player is in discussions only with Atlético, and that over the next few weeks she will be “travelling in another part of the world” and thus unable to negotiate any possible transfer. “It’s exhausting to constantly read new thingsabout what my brother thinks about his future,” she sighed. “I can assure you that nothing is happeningright now.”

Matthijs De Ligt is making headlines once again, with Italy’s Corriere dello Sport insisting on its front page that “Juventus are battling Barcelona” – with scouts on their way to Amsterdam for Sunday’s Holand-Germany game – while in Spain TV3 insist that “Barça are in pole position”, thanks to the relationships that blossomed between them and the Dutch defender’s current club, Ajax, while they were negotiating the mammoth transfer of Frenkie de Jong.

Having announced in January that De Jong would join this summer for €75m, Barcelona apparently considered the prospect of another megabucks Ajax-based deal remote. However the player’s desire to move to Catalonia, and other clubs’ desire to snaffle him first, has made the Spaniards reconsider. According to AS the club’s president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has decided that “now is the time to make a transition, before the decline of Pique” but also that “if they are to sign De Ligt it must be this year”. They are, in short, readying an offer of €70m but are aware that Paris St-Germain, Juventus or Bayern Munich might outbid them.

According to Calciomercato Milan are hoping to re-sign Gerard Deulofeu this summer, at the end of his first full season at Watford. “With safety already achieved, if Watford lose their FA Cup semi-final they would have nothing left to play for and could start planning for next season – without Deulofeu in their line-up,” they insist. “The Catalan forward has already made it known to the club that he intends to move, and he is excited by a return to Milan. The main obstacle is the price: €30m. The will of Deulo could facilitate the deal.”

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It is a theme also picked up by the Gazzetta dello Sport, who trail “the Rossoneri strategy” on their front page – this involves qualifying for the Champions League before going on a wild spree that will lead them not only to Deulofeu but to some or all of (deep breath), the Napoli midfielder Amadou Diawara, Gremio’s Everton, the Nice winger Allan Saint-Maximin and the Sassuolo midfield duo of Alfred Duncan and Stefano Sensi.

Follow @insidefutbol Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur linked midfielder Steven Nzonzi is pushing for a move to England in the summer, but Roma are yet to receive any approach from a Premier League club. Nzonzi joined the Serie A giants from Sevilla last year and he has made 32 appearances in all competitions for […]

Follow @insidefutbol Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has eased top four worries for the Blues by insisting that their rivals for a Champions League spot, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United, are wobbling under the pressure. Maurizio Sarri’s men failed to give themselves a shot in the arm in the race for a top […]

Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has eased top four worries for the Blues by insisting that their rivals for a Champions League spot, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United, are wobbling under the pressure.

Maurizio Sarri’s men failed to give themselves a shot in the arm in the race for a top four finish in the Premier League after their 2-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Despite the defeat, Chelsea are still within four points of Spurs, who sit third, with eight games remaining and could still finish in one of the four Champions League qualification places.

Chelsea are also battling Arsenal and Manchester United for a top four place and Nevin thinks that all three sides the Blues are rivalling have their own issues.

The former Chelsea star added that he hopes the Blues can conjure a reaction similar to that after the heavy defeat at Manchester City last month and insisted they must be ready to take advantage of any slip-up from their rivals.

Follow @insidefutbol The agent of Arsenal and Everton linked winger Malcom will meet Barcelona at the end of the month to take a decision on his client’s future at the club. Barcelona pulled off a coup when they signed the winger from Bordeaux last summer when it seemed all but certain that he would […]

Follow @insidefutbol Former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson believes Unai Emery has done a fantastic job making the Gunners competitive against the big sides after the mess left behind by Arsene Wenger. Emery, who took over the reins from Wenger last summer, has managed to guide Arsenal to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, […]

Former Arsenal midfielder Stewart Robson believes Unai Emery has done a fantastic job making the Gunners competitive against the big sides after the mess left behind by Arsene Wenger.

Emery, who took over the reins from Wenger last summer, has managed to guide Arsenal to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, while also helping them remain in the race for a top four finish in the Premier League.

The Gunners have lost just once at the Emirates in the league this season and have recorded wins against the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in their own backyard.

Despite their concerns in defence, Arsenal are on course to secure a return to the Champions League next season and Robson feels Emery has done a fantastic job.

The former Arsenal star admitted he thought it would be impossible for someone to do so well after taking up the mess left behind by Wenger and stressed Emery has made the Gunners competitive again.

“I think Unai Emery has made Arsenal a better team this year and they’re better against the top sides”, Robson said on the ESPN FC show.

“We saw them beat Manchester United, we saw them beat Tottenham at the Emirates, they played very well at Wembley against Tottenham as well, they played well against Liverpool at the Emirates.

“So I think they’re a better team against the big sides.

“They’ve still got one or two defensive issues, but I’m sure Unai Emery with a couple of transfer windows will get better players in that backline.

“I think he’s done a very, very good job.

“I thought it would be almost an impossible job for anybody coming in after Arsene Wenger because he’s made such a mess at the club in the last few years.”

Arsenal, who are currently fourth ahead of Manchester United and Chelsea, will next face Newcastle United at the Emirates following the international break.

]]>https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/03/19/arsene-wenger-left-a-mess-former-arsenal-star-lauds-unai-emerys-work/feed/0David Seaman tweets David Ospina as Arsenal goalkeeper recovers after collapsing on pitchhttps://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/03/19/david-seaman-tweets-david-ospina-as-arsenal-goalkeeper-recovers-after-collapsing-on-pitch/
https://soccer.10ztalk.com/2019/03/19/david-seaman-tweets-david-ospina-as-arsenal-goalkeeper-recovers-after-collapsing-on-pitch/#respondTue, 19 Mar 2019 14:59:13 +0000https://soccer.10ztalk.com/?p=119336Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina, currently on a season-long loan with Serie A club Napoli collapsed on the pitch during his side’s clash with Udinese on Sunday. The Colombian fell to the turf shortly before half-time, having suffered an earlier head injury in a clash with Udinese’s Ignacio Pussetto, and had to be immediately rushed to […]

Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina, currently on a season-long loan with Serie A club Napoli collapsed on the pitch during his side’s clash with Udinese on Sunday.

The Colombian fell to the turf shortly before half-time, having suffered an earlier head injury in a clash with Udinese’s Ignacio Pussetto, and had to be immediately rushed to the hospital, where he has since recovered after spending the night.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone for your prayers and your thoughts. I am fine and recovering with my family.I hope to be back soon and stronger than ever! pic.twitter.com/gssKzZ9jxD

The 30-year-old joined Arsenal from Nice in the summer of 2014 as backup to Wojciech Szczesny, and was only a regular in the cup competitions.

Ospina requested a loan move away from the Emirates last summer upon the arrival of Bernd Leno in order to play more regularly elsewhere, and Napoli are likely to exercise the option to buy included in the deal after a series of impressive performances from him.

The Colombian, who has surely played his last game for Arsenal helped them to the FA Cup victories in 2014–15 and 2016–17, and will remain fondly remembered by the fans despite being a backup goalie for most of his time at the north London side.

Follow @insidefutbol Arsenal, Manchester United and Wolves linked Francisco Trincao has refused to delve into the speculation over his future ahead of the summer transfer window. The teenage forward has impressed with Braga’s B team this season in the second tier of Portuguese football and has made two appearances for the senior team […]